Topic Contents

Epilepsy: Anterior Temporal Lobectomy

Topic Overview

Anterior temporal lobectomy is the removal of part of one of the
brain's temporal lobes. It is the most common type of surgery for
epilepsy.

This type of surgery is used to treat people with
temporal lobe epilepsy when medicines fail to control
seizures. Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common type of
epilepsy in adults. It usually causes
complex partial seizures that start in the temporal lobe.

For a person who has seizures that do not get better with
medicines, surgery may be a good option.
It may help control epilepsy better than if the person were to keep
trying the medicines.footnote 1

Related Information

References

Citations

Engel J Jr, et al. (2003, reaffirmed 2005). Practice parameter: Temporal lobe and localized neocortical resections for epilepsy. Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology, in association with the American Epilepsy Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Neurology, 60(4): 538–547.

Engel J Jr, et al. (2003, reaffirmed 2005). Practice parameter: Temporal lobe and localized neocortical resections for epilepsy. Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology, in association with the American Epilepsy Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Neurology, 60(4): 538–547.

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